A bike Cannondale It's never banal. Not because of the concepts and technical solutions it brings, nor, obviously, because of its performance.
The fourth generation of the Cannondale SuperSix Evo is now officialIt is very different from the previous, even if the first aesthetic impact reminds it, but its development also find inspiration from the platform System SixLet's go into detail with David Devine, Product Manager Road of the American company.
«The fourth generation of the SuperSix Evo – he explains – wants to mark a change of direction in the road segment. This bicycle, among its various objectives, aims to return to being a point of reference for lightness and aerodynamics, overall performance and technical solutions. Attention to detail, which also includes painting, that we wanted to support to create this new platform is really important and We spent a huge amount of hours of work and development on some sections of the bike. For example the bottom bracket shell, which is now a BB68 with threaded seats for bearing caps. A big change for Cannondale».
Almost three years of work
«There is no one area that is more difficult to develop than another», explains Nathan Barry, engineer and head of aerodynamics. The most complicated aspect is to create a product that also becomes the right compromiseo. The new Cannondale SuperSix Evo has little to share with the previous generation and the initial phase of the project is markedly inspired by the System Six. Why SystemSix? Because it is a monster of aerodynamic efficiency.
But for the fourth generation of our lightweight bike it was necessary combine aerodynamics with low weight, creating a perfect connection between the different components in play. To this we also added a maniacal attention to detail. When you look at it, at times it seems like a simple bike, in reality It took almost three years of hard and relentless work».
770 gram Lab71 frame
In addition to the Hi-Mod and Carbon versions, la Lab71 with Ultralight 0 carbon, which becomes the top of the range and is the one used by the pros EF Education EasyPostIt is a composite fibre that descends directly from Hi-Mod, but which uses new resins with integrated nanotechnology, new orientations in the construction phase of the tubes and methods of cutting the fiber itself.
For weight lovers a Lab71 frame has a declared weight on the scales of 770 grams (including paint), the Hi-Mod of 810 and the Carbon of 930, with the same size 56. The shape and volumes of the profiles are the same, regardless of the carbon matrix, as well as sizes and geometries.
Tires up to 34mm
The fork stem has a sort of triangular shape, which partly takes up the Delta concept already highlighted in the past for the column pipe. The passage of cables and sheaths is internal and the steering has no locks that limit the turning radius of the handlebars. The stem size is classic, it is not oversized, a solution that allows for easy mounting of traditional stems. The fork and rear triangle have plenty of clearance for wheels/tyres, up to 34mm also considering the type of wheels. The through pins have traditional dimensions, but the housing seats adopt a revised countersink (SpeedRelease has been abandoned).
Aerodynamic seatpost
There is an aerodynamic seatpost with a very low frontal impact that is available with zero offset, or discharged towards the rear by 20 millimetres. Its design is specific for the new Cannondale SuperSix Evo, is called C1 Aero and it's full carbon. The locking block is fully integrated.
The new SuperSix Evo project It also includes bottles with square sides, which are more efficient (compared to round ones) in terms of impact on space. But traditional water bottles can also be used.
All SuperSix Evo models are compatible with electromechanical and mechanical transmissions, this also explains the presence of the hatch at the top of the down tube.
Return to threaded movement
68mm wide box, threaded seats for the engagement of the external caps and abandonment of the Hollowgram cranksetThe asymmetry only concerns the volumes of the seat stays and the seat tube. The “underside” of the box also becomes the Di2 battery portIt does not interfere with the bottom bracket and the crankset, because it fits into a port at the base of the down tube. Furthermore the Evo supports a possible SmartSense package, that's why there's a small slot under the down tube bottle cage.
Geometries and sizes
The geometries are identical to the previous generation, for seven sizes in total (44 and 48, 51 and 54, 56, 58 and 61). One of the few variations in this regard concerns the two largest sizes, which have now been grouped into 61.
It's always interesting to adopt two different fork rakes, depending on the size. 55mm for frame sizes 44/54 and 45mm offset for frame sizes 56/61.
Equipment and prices
The top of the list, the SuperSix Evo Lab71 It is available with a trim level, which is based on the Dura-Ace transmission, the new integrated full carbon cockpit Momodesign SystemBar and the new Hollowgram SL50 wheelsThe color scheme is one. The Lab71 is also available as a frameset, in three color combinationsThe Lab71 frameset has a list price of 5499 euros, while the complete bike costs 14999 (one build only).
The Hi-Mod is available in two trim levelsHi-Mod 1 is based on the Sram Red AXS drivetrain, Hi-Mod 2 is with the Ultegra Di2 drivetrain. Hollowgram SL50 wheels are still used, and some cockpit specifications vary depending on the price, although the cockpit is not integrated. The Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod is also available as a frame kit, in two color combinationsThe HM frame kit has a list price of 4199 euros. The HM1 setup costs 13499, while the HM2 is 8999.
There are two basic setups for the Carbon versions, between Shimano Ultegra Di2 and the Sram Force AXS. In addition to the other components, the wheels have changed, still full carbon Hollowgram, but in the 50R-S version, with the internal mechanism of the DT Swiss 350 hub, instead of the 240 used for the SL. The Carbon1 costs 6999 euros, the Carbon2 6799 euros.
